Beating around the Bush
by Phoxy-Kitsune
Summary: Kouga is starting to accept the fact that Kagome has rejected him. He is contempt with him and her being just friends, but when his mother comes around for a visit demanding to meet his mate will he resort to asking Kagome for the biggest favor...and wha
1. False Hopes

Phoxy- Now...don't get mad...I'm working on an update for TWTH....but it is on my puter at home and I have to sneak on to do that one...soooo...I'm starting this one to do here at school...  
  
Inuyasha- **laughs**  
  
Phoxy- Shut up!!  
  
Inuyasha- But you are so pathetic!  
  
Phoxy- Sit!  
  
Inuyasha- **face plants**  
  
Phoxy- Now who's pathetic lame brain.  
  
Inuyasha- **growls**  
  
Disclaimer- no ownith anything...ith....  
  
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Beat Around the bush  
  
False hopes  
  
Kouga lay back against the side of his cave wall resting his eyes in deep thought. He had just gotten back once more from seeing Kagome, and once again she refused to be his.  
  
It wasn't like he was going to give up, but that was exactly what he had decided to do. Maybe it wasn't meant to be if she wanted a half-breed like Inuyasha, maybe she wasn't worth his time at all.  
  
The leader of the wolf clan sighed heavily. He'd just have to be there for her when Inuyasha couldn't save her, like he always was anyway. Friendship was better than nothing, right? He would just have to find someone better than Kagome to take his mind off it, but alas there was no one that came to mind.  
  
Then again why should there be? He had spent all his time seeking out Kagome when she was already taken. Kouga froze in his thought for a second. It was the first time that had really hit him.  
  
She was already Inuyasha's. Of course she wouldn't be his. That struck home as he gave another distressed sigh.  
  
Could thinks possibly get worse at this point. He'd struck an all out low, hitting bottom, losing out to a mutt. The pack was losing faith in him slowly because of his misjudgment and lack of duties.  
  
They had seen what he just learned from the beginning. Though no one would say so to his face. Fear of being killed no doubt.  
  
One of Kouga's men ran into the cave at top speed out of breath, and looking as if he was about to collapse on the spot. Pulling up what strength he had he rushed to where Kouga leaned on the wall, appearing to be asleep.  
  
"She's...come...ing..." The wolf tribe member gasped. He had run all the way here from his post at the edge of the tribe's territory, which covered the area once belonging to the birds of paradise.  
  
"Who?" Kouga asked with a week show of interest. His men had a way with overreacting. A trail of memories sprang up about a time when they thought the world was coming to an end because of a little snow fall.  
  
"Your...Mother..."  
  
There is no better wake up call than that, at least not for Kouga. At the sound of the 'm' word he sat up so fast the messenger jumped back, or maybe he just jumped at the sudden movement. It was hard to tell as he quickly recovered taking a few steps away from Kouga who immediately started up, "WHAT!? When? Why? She isn't suppose to come for another five months!"  
  
"It's been those five months. You must not have noticed." The messenger said unsure if he should even attempt to calm down his leaders panic.  
  
Kouga got to his feet and in a blur of air rushed out of the cave at top speed, or he would have if there hadn't been a rather too sweet looking woman standing in front of him, blocking his only escape.  
  
She was a rather tall woman. She had black hair tied back in a loose pony tail. She was wearing a grey fur outfit, some type of bear by the look of it. She was older looking than most of the members of the cave, and her brown eyes shown with knowledge. "Hello Kouga. How are you my son?"  
  
The cave had fallen silent. Last time their leaders mother had been there she had demanded to see Kouga's mate...and wasn't too happy to find out that he was lacking of one. That had been nine month's ago. The exact amout of time she said that she was going to give him to find one.  
  
And again he had failed, but how was he going to tell her that?  
  
"Fine." Kouga's voice cracked nearly in a whisper. He had stopped just feet away from her, and really found it hard to move, that and breath.  
  
"Wonderful." She said with a smile as she took her son into her arms with love. "And how's the misses?"  
  
Getting right to the point isn't she. Kouga just kept silent. Maybe if he didn't make a sound she would forget the fact he didn't answer.  
  
"Well?" The woman asked releasing him to look him in the eyes. Obviously his plan wasn't working, time for a new strategy, if there was one.  
  
He could tell her the truth and then suffer long lectures and speeches and be told off about how he was such an imbecile and how it was time to grow up.  
  
That didn't look to be a good choice. He could run out of the cave screaming that he didn't even know the woman and have the pack attack her...though she would probably beat his pack down and then tear after him.  
  
Again, not looking to be a good choice, and that's when the thought hit him. He could tell her that he had a mate. Then his mother could congratulate him and be on her marry way like she always did.  
  
"She's doing great." Kouga lied convincingly.  
  
"Oh. Really? For a minute there I thought you had failed me once again. So where is she?" The cheery woman asked with a slight bounce in her voice.  
  
"She's...out in the fields...picking berries." Kouga said scrounging the back of his mind for ideas. Maybe he should have thought this one out a bit more before attempting it.  
  
"Oh. Well go and fetch her so I may meet her then." His mother said a bit too bounce for Kouga's liking.  
  
Great. Now what was he to do. "O...kay..." Kouga said as he stepped past his mother to exit the cave.  
  
"And hurry back would you dear I can't wait to see the girl of yours." She called after him.  
  
'I can't wait either.' Kouga thought as he trotted down away from the cave as a slow jog. He was in no hurry what so ever. He was in a big dilemma, and didn't know how the hell he was going to get out of it. In fact he didn't know what possessed him to do this in the first place.  
  
Kouga looked up and saw one of his tribe members walking back from the hunting fields with a deer over his shoulder. "Hey." Kouga said as he drew closer to him. "My mother's up there and I want you to get everyone to keep her busy until I get back."  
  
"Your...mother...." The wolf member said remembering the horrible screech that woman could yell in.  
  
Kouga nodded, "Keep her distracted. And if she asks what's taking so long, take her mind away from it. Got it?"  
  
"Yea."  
  
"Good. Carry on then." Kouga said as he went past the hunter and started to run off once again. He didn't know where he was going. How was he going to find a woman in a matter of hours, and then, as if on cue, it hit him, "Kagome..." If he could get her to play along while his mother was here...  
  
That was it. That's all he had to do. Convince her to do this for him, just once. His mother would leave in a few days and then she could leave. That and he would have the opportunity to be with Kagome. This would be great.  
  
With out another thought Kouga started up his twister and took off to find her without a second thought of what might happen. Or what might not happen...  
  
**************************************************************************** *****  
  
Phoxy- ^___^ How good is that?  
  
Inuyasha- You are so evil...  
  
Phoxy- Bite me. Anyways. This is not a self-insert fic so don't beg me to put ya in it. I haven't done one of these yet...except for love and hate...which is going to be changed to a Romeo and Juliet type fic. I'm not going to use the script...and I might change the characters around abit...and I might just drop some of them all together. But yea.  
  
READ, ENJOY, REVIEW. 


	2. Taking Flight

Hey again. I heard word from ~Neo Koneko-chan~ that someone did a fic like this containing Kouga's dad. But I haven't seen anything like this. I don't claim that I had this first, just thought I might have. **lol** I have also been asked if this is a Inu/Kag fic or a Kouga/Kagome fic. And the idea is that it is Kagome's turn to play around in a love triangle of her own. I was also asked if this was a Sess/Kag fic...but I don't really see what that would have to do with this story, sorry to disappoint you ~inuyasha-n-kagome-rox142~.  
  
Disclaimer- I don't own Inuyasha. Though...if I did.........  
  
***************************************** BR BR BR bBeating Around the Bush/b BR bTaking flight/b BR BR BR "SIT!!" Kagome exclaimed at the aggravated hanyou in front of her. How dare he compare her, once again, to Kikyo. It's the same thing every time. 'Kikyo wouldn't do that' 'Kikyo was smarter than you' 'Kikyo would have done this'. Kagome was fed up with it!...Again!!  
  
"STOP DOING THAT!!" Inuyasha yelled from his face planted position. 'Maybe I shouldn't have said that...' he thought, but it was too late now. Kagome was already pissed at him and nothing he did now could fix that. Well, nothing he was willing to do that is.  
  
"I DON'T SEE ANY REASON WHY I SHOULD. SIT! SIT!! SIT!!!" Kagome whirled around to storm off, and started too, but she saw an all too familiar whirl of wind heading her way that stopped her in her tracks.  
  
Behind her, Inuyasha was recovering from his sudden unconscious state. He sat up holding his head, and looked around expecting Kagome to have left for the well once again, maybe that's why he was surprised to see her only four steps away from the place she originally stood.  
  
"Why are you still here?" Inuyasha asked uncertain. A little worried she might turn and yell at him again.  
  
"Don't sound so disappointed." Kagome said flatly. "Kouga's coming this way."  
  
"What?" Inuyasha said, standing up so fast he suffered from a bit of light headed ness for a few seconds. He looked in the direction Kagome had been facing and sure enough there was the twister that most defiantly belonged to the mangy wolf.  
  
"Wonder why he's coming here." Kagome mused a bit louder than she had originally planed.  
  
"Why don't you go run into his arms. I'm sure he'd be happy." Inuyasha retorted.  
  
"Sit!"  
  
And Inuyasha was faced with a mouth full of dirt once more.  
  
Kouga drew closer and stopped about ten feet outward away from the face- falted Inuyasha and Kagome. "Hey."  
  
"Hey Kouga." Kagome said unsure of what else to do. Last time she had seen him he had gone off all mope-y like with his tail dragging behind him. Maybe she shouldn't have been so harsh on him. Then again, maybe he was here and completely put it out of his memory that she had even told him that she wasn't his and never would be...  
  
"Kagome can I talk to you away from the mutt?" Kouga asked looking at the recovering Inuyasha who now was sitting up. Impressive that his brain could even calculate the action to do so in the first place.  
  
"You stay away from her!" And the mutt was on his feet reaching for tetsusaiga at once.  
  
"Sit boy!" Kagome scowled at Inuyasha as he hit the dirt again.  
  
"I'm gonna get brain damage damnit!!" Inuyasha growled from the dirt.  
  
"You already have it." Kouga said flatly. He turned his attention away from the dog and back to Kagome, "Now?"  
  
"Uhh...sure." Kagome said uncertainly. It wasn't that she didn't trust Kouga...ok yes it was. But she was also afraid that she might have to really sick Inuyasha on him if he tried anything stupid. With a few steps of deciding to go with him. She looked back at Inuyasha for a brief second, "I'll be back. Don't do anything stupid." Like that would stop him.  
  
Inuyasha merely growled as he struggled to sit back up. He had been 'sit'ed six times with in the past few minutes, how embarrassing. And now she was going off with Kouga. What the hell could she be thinking.  
  
Kouga walked next to Kagome a ways away from Inuyasha, making sure they were far from ear-shot of the blood hound. Our beloved wolf stopped and turned to look at Kagome. That's when it hit him, finally the faults of his brilliant plan seep threw. What if she refused to help him? What if she just turned him down again? And what if she completely left him with no other way out of this disaster?!  
  
No. Kagome wouldn't do that. She wasn't the type of person to leave someone to suffer ememcely. She wouldn't let him down. Right?  
  
"Now. What is it you want to talk to me about?" Kagome asked turning to him. She stood a few feet away from him, just in case. God knows she didn't want to end up being the one carted off again. That seemed to happen all to much.  
  
"Uhh. I need a favor." Kouga really wasn't good at this. He was the leader of the wolfs. How the hell was he suppose to ask for help when he shouldn't need it. This was insanity, but it was necessary. Kouga had disappointed his mother many times in the past. Like when he refused to go hunting on his coming of age day. He had a broken foot and he didn't feel like hunting anyway, but he later learned that it had greatly upset her. He couldn't do it again...  
  
"Oh? Really, like what?" Kagome asked a little taken back. She watched him shift uneasily, which really made her wonder what this was all about.  
  
BR BR **~~...~~** BR BR  
  
"Inuyasha!" Shippo called out as he run up on top of the hill to the hanyou's side. "Songo and Miroku say it's time to come back to the village and that you and Kagome should stop being so childish."  
  
"Did they now?" Inuyasha said looking down the hill and across the field.  
  
"Where is Kagome?" Shippo asked, just now noticing she wasn't there. "Did you scare her off again? Why do you always do that? And why didn't you chase after her!?"  
  
"I never scare her off!" Inuyasha barked, snapping his gaze to the little kitsune.  
  
"You do all the time!!" Shippo said to the denying hanyou. "And you always mope about it after wards!"  
  
"I have never scared anyone off in my life!! And I never mope!!"  
  
"YOU DO TOO!! Every time she goes threw the well you mope around like it's the end of the world! Now go get her and bring her back!!" Shippo said in protest.  
  
"She didn't go threw the well you idiot! She's down there talking with Kouga!!" Inuyasha spat out in a jealous rage, pointing out into the field to the two talking amongst themselves.  
  
Shippo followed Inuyasha's finger and saw them. "Oh. So this time you ticked her off enough to go running to Kouga. You're horrible."  
  
"I DIDN'T DO THAT!!" Inuyasha yelled as he lifted his foot up and brought it down on the little kitsune's head.  
  
Shippo struggled to get out from underneath the heavy foot atop his head. He managed to do so and he turned and glared at the silver-haired dog. " You bully!"  
  
"Annoying welp." Inuyasha shot back at Shippo, his gaze looking out into the field once more.  
  
"Stupid dog!" Shippo snapped his fists clenched at his sides.  
  
That was a bit too far. Before Shippo could react Inuyasha had him by the back of his clothes and over his head, "GO BACK TO THE VILLAGE AND DON'T COME BACK TIL YOU GET THE FACTS STRAIT!!" At that he threw the small kit, making sure he sailed threw the air a few hundred yards, screaming all the way.  
  
Inuyasha again looked back at Kagome and Kouga. "What the hell could they be talking about?" He mused to the air.  
  
BR BR **~~...~~** BR BR  
  
"Let me get this strait. You need me to be your 'mate' until your mother leaves because you were suppose to find one over the past nine months...and you didn't because why?" Kagome had been listening to this for the past ten minutes not sure if she was hearing him right.  
  
"Because I didn't." Kouga half-lied, not willing to tell her that he had found one but she was taken by a low dog who didn't deserve her, "Will you help me or not?" He really did look pathetic pleading to her, begging like a common mutt.  
  
"I don't know if I can..." Kagome said dropping her shoulders. Inuyasha would kill her if she consented to this, not to mention it would be the death of Kouga as well.  
  
"It's only for a day or two." Kouga protested trying to reassure her that Inuyasha didn't have to know what she was doing, "If you do this I'll..." He had to stop and think for a moment. What could he do for her that she would want him to do? There wasn't much that he could think of.  
  
"God Kouga. I'll do it, but you have to promise it will only be for 'a day or two' Other wise Inuyasha will find out because of pure curiosity."  
  
Kouga blinked and nodded, "Yea only one or two. Then she'll leave and you can go back to dog boy." He couldn't believe this. She agreed to do it. Did she even hear that last part.  
  
"And you do understand that this is a favor and not the real deal." Kagome said more than asked. She had to make sure Kouga understood that she wasn't 'his woman'.  
  
"I get that." Kouga said dully. What did she think he was, stupid?  
  
"And you know that I'm not going to do anything but play the part, right?" Kagome asked indicating that she wasn't about to make out with him just to be ultimately convincing to his pressing mother.  
  
"Right." Kouga agreed knowing what she meant. His thoughts were more on how his mother might react to her.  
  
"Ok. But when this is over no bringing it up ever to Inuyasha."  
  
"Oh no. I talk to him all the time." Kouga said, sarcasm flooding his words.  
  
Kagome sighed heavily. Great, she was going to help him, but how the hell was she going to get Inuyasha to let her go with Kouga for a few days with out him following her. This was going to be difficult. "Ok. Let me go talk to Inuyasha." She said turning back to the hill. "You wait here. I'll be back in a few."  
  
"Right." Kouga said as he watched her walk back up the hill. That was easier than he thought it was going to be. Much easier, he didn't even have to offer one of his shards to her...  
  
BR BR **~~...~~** BR BR  
  
"Took you long enough." Inuyasha said as Kagome finished walking back up the hill.  
  
"Sorry." Kagome said catching her breath, the hill was much easier climbing down than up.  
  
"Lets go. Shippo said Songo and Miroku are waiting." Inuyasha got up and turned to walk back down the other side of the hill.  
  
"Shippo was here? Where is he?" Kagome didn't follow Inuyasha. She couldn't now could she? Kouga was waiting just a few hundred or so feet away.  
  
"Learning to fly." Inuyasha said turning back to Kagome, "You coming or are you just going to stand there all night?"  
  
"I have to go for a few days to help Kouga out." Kagome said rubbing her shoulder.  
  
"No way. He can help himself." Inuyasha said scornfully. Kouga could go die on his own. What ever problem he was dealing with he wasn't about to drag Kagome down with him.  
  
"Inuyasha! He needs my help and I'm going to do just that. How can you be so harsh against him? I'll be back in a few days ok." Kagome argued. Inuyasha was going to lose this one and she was going to make sure of it.  
  
"What does he need your help for? He has his entire pack to help him in what ever battle he as to face!"  
  
"Not this one! I'll be back. Stop being such a baby about it!" Kagome turned and started walking down the hill.  
  
Inuyasha's face dropped for a second, but he regained some of his voice as he called after her, "Only a few days right!?"  
  
"Yea I'll be back in two, three days top!" Kagome called over her shoulder to him. That gave her a day more than Kouga had said it would take. That way she could take her time getting back if she wanted to.  
  
Inuyasha watched her for a few more seconds as she approached Kouga.  
  
BR BR **~~...~~** BR BR "Ok. Lets go." Kagome said as she walked over to Kouga.  
  
"Right." Kouga looked at her, "It'll be faster if I carry you."  
  
"Um. Ok." Kagome said awkwardly.  
  
Kouga picked her up bridal style and started off at a fast run forming his signature twister around the two of them. Now all he could hope for was that they could pull this off, for his sake, as well as Kagome's now...  
  
BR BR **~~...~~** BR BR  
  
Inuyasha watched Kouga pick her up and take off. With a huff he sighed and walked down the hill after them slowly. Kagome can go with Kouga, but he was going to be around to save her when the mangy wolf couldn't. He wasn't about to let Kouga and her be alone with out him making sure nothing happened.  
  
Inuyasha started slow, but soon picked up his pace figuring Kouga had plenty of time to get ahead of him. The caves were a good four hour run away, or in Kouga's case an hour...  
  
He had to get there to figure out what the hell Kagome just got herself into...  
  
BR BR  
  
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Phoxy- Well. There's chapter two. ^___^ Next chapter will be interesting, including Kagome meeting Kouga's mother. Hey and if anyone has a good name for Kouga's mother please tell me in review. That would be great!! ^__^  
  
READ, ENJOY, REVIEW!! 


	3. First Base

Phoxy- I know it's been a while...but I'm busy don't kill me. Thank you. ^___^ For all of those on mediaminer I'm currently at a loss for all my other fics...that and the schools computers seem to not take a liking to the site and it wont let me on it. **cough**  
  
To everyone who has reviewed...THANK YOU!! I LOVE YOU ALL BECAUSE YOU LOVE THIS FIC!!  
  
Another note...the pairing in this fic it Inu/Kag AND Kouga/Kag. Needless to say this is not a Sess/Kag fic...¬.¬ Sorry to disappoint...  
  
This chapter is a bit longer than the others. Hope it makes up for how long it took for me to put it up...  
  
Disclaimer- I don't own it.  
  
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Beating around the Bush  
  
First Base  
  
"What's your mother like?" Kagome asked as she and Kouga sped towards the cave. She more along the lines screamed it at him, but that was only so she could be heard over the winds of the surrounding cyclone.  
  
Kouga didn't hear her though, but he did happen to see her lips move in an attempt to communicate. Despite the fact that he needed to get there as fast as possible, due to his knowledge of how impatient his mother could be, he decided to slow down so that it was easy to hold a conversation at a normal running pace.  
  
"Well? What is she like?" Kagome asked squinting up at him. The dust and dirt in her eyes was unbearably irritating. She rubbed them, trying to clear them of the intruding sand/dirt particles.  
  
"Hm?" Kouga asked oblivious to what on earth she was talking about.  
  
"You're mother. What is your mother like?" Kagome repeated irritably. Why was she repeating herself. Weren't wolves suppose to have good hearing just as dogs do. Maybe she was too use to Inuyasha after all...  
  
"Well...she's, uh...pushy."  
  
Translation: She is a power hungry control freak who always gets what she wants and if she doesn't then she continuously pesters and sends you on guilt trips you much rather ovoid.  
  
Well...that's how it translated to Kagome, but just to make sure, "Pushy? As in...she is forcing you to find a mate?"  
  
Kouga just nodded, and looked ahead of them. They were almost there and he still wasn't sure what was going to happen next.  
  
There were many different scenarios running threw his head...and over half of them weren't ending too well.  
  
"That's kind of rude isn't it. And it isn't fair to you." Kagome said throwing in her two cents. It wasn't her place to say anything, but since when did that stop her?  
  
"Just don't bring it up." Kouga said in almost a panic. She could really blow this out of the water if she said anything out of line. "The last thing we want is her to find out this isn't real and that you aren't her daughter-in-law," Kouga paused, "that could only lead to trouble..."  
  
"Right, I know." Kagome said mentally kicking herself. How did she always get herself into things like this.  
  
Usually it had something to do with the shikon jewel shards, or Inuyasha...or even both, and even a few times with Kikyo. And for those she really didn't get to chose if she was going to submit herself to self torture such as this, but SHE chose this.  
  
Why did she do this to herself again?  
  
"We're here." Kouga said as he started jumping up the side of the cliff. He felt Kagome tense up a bit in his arms. He didn't mind holding her.  
  
And he couldn't help but enjoy the thought that she was going to be with him for the next few days.  
  
The two of them reached the top and heard a rather loud growled out call from inside...  
  
**~~...~~**  
  
Inuyasha was down to a slow walk. His mind had trailed off after about a half hour or so of running after Kouga and Kagome. Just thinking of those two names in a single sentence made him shudder slightly.  
  
He couldn't stand that wimpy wolf any more than he could stand Naraku. Maybe that was an understatement...or possibly and overstatement, but it seemed right at the time.  
  
Why the hell would she just ditch him like that? She had done is to bluntly as if she had wanted to go with Kouga more than stay with him.  
  
Or was Kagome right when she had told him it was all in his head...  
  
"There is nothing between me and Kouga! You are so paranoid! It's all in your head, there is nothing between me and him!"  
  
Yep...that screech out was exactly what she had said...why he was remembering now was beyond him. It wasn't really relevant now was it...was it?  
  
Not much all could come from that. Kagome said that she didn't want to be with Kouga. She had never lied before, why start now?  
  
Or maybe she had just said that because she didn't want to hurt his 'feelings'. What if she was going to live with him for good right now.  
  
What if the only reason she had been staying with him was out of pity because of how he and Kikyo ended up?  
  
But then why would she act so flippant and annoyed every time Kikyo and him had talked. Why would she always over react about everything whenever it included something to do with the miko?  
  
Why did he care?  
  
Inuyasha pushed his thoughts out of his mind deciding to not answer his own questions anymore. It could only lead to him thinking things he didn't want to and that might not be a good thing.  
  
He snapped out of his trance and picked up his walking pace a little bit.  
  
Questions still seeming to tickle his curiosity bone fiercely.  
  
**~~...~~**  
  
"...And then he ran right into the wall!" The scout, Kutor, started laughing, "With the deer and all!"  
  
Kasima was not impressed. Her son had been gone too long and it was wearing on her nerves. If she had to listen to one more story about hunting trips she was going to strangle the whole lot of the pack. "When is Kouga getting back?" The tired mother asked the surrounding group.  
  
"He should be back any second now!" Kutor answered all too quickly with a nerves smile. He was running out of stories and it didn't look like this was going to last much longer. "Don't worry about things."  
  
The wolf mother sighed heavily. "How far away are the fields that she was in? It really couldn't have been all that far."  
  
"Well. You know the humans. They tend to get lost sometimes." Kutor said with a half-hearted shrug.  
  
"Human? Are you implying that Kouga's mate is human?" That was news to Kasima, and Kutor couldn't tell by her expression if it was good or bad that he had said that.  
  
That comment had been a mistake on his part and now he had to deal with it. So he hesitantly stuttered a quiet, "Yes." Though...he wasn't completely sure if it was true or not. Kouga might just go out and find the first demon he comes across.  
  
Everyone knew in the tribe that there was a water nymph who would kill to be with Kouga, and she wasn't the only one.  
  
There were more demons in the area who were looking to be with the leader of the wolf pack ever since they had beaten the birds of paradise down.  
  
This could quite easily blow up in Kutor's face...  
  
"Interesting..." Was all Kasima said. "And what would this young woman's name be?"  
  
Oh great, not the question Kutor needed right now. He looked to Taka who was sitting in front of him, as if pleading from him to answer, but Taka was pleading right back threw the look in his eyes.  
  
"Well?" Kasima asked impatiently. "Speak up you two."  
  
There was a long pause that followed as the two scouts looked at the woman eyeing her facial expression. She was not going to be a very happy hamster in a minute.  
  
Kasima's face fell slightly and she managed to screach out "Answer me now!"  
  
"We...don't know her name..."  
  
"WHAT!?" Kasima yelled shrillfuly at the two guards.  
  
Taka and Kutor edged back, really wanting to turn and run full speed to a safe place to hide, and would have done the former if it hadn't been the pressing little fact that they were glued to their spot on the stone ground in fear. They put the theory into play that maybe she was like a bee and only saw you if you moved...  
  
Boy weren't they wrong....  
  
"How can you not know what her name is!? Have you met her!? You should have at the very least seen her!? Are you saying he hasn't brought the girl to meet the pack yet!? I can't believe that idiot!!" Kasima didn't think she was over reacting at the time...but obviously someone behind her found her to be acting a little more upset than she should be.  
  
"I wanted to wait for the right time to bring her here." Came the male voice behind his mother. Kasima whirled around so fast she nearly got whip- lash to see her son standing there carrying a young human girl in his arms.  
  
She was pretty though. Raven hair, nice eyes, and a good body from the looks of it...though it was a bit hard to judge for the fact that she was wearing rather odd looking cloths. "And why might that be?" Kasima asked as she continued making her observations about the girl.  
  
"Because Kagome wasn't ready to meet the pack yet." Kouga lied threw his teeth, but for some reason, it came naturally. Lying to the woman in front of him seemed to be the easiest thing in the world at that moment.  
  
"I see." The wolf mother stood up and walked over to her son and his mate. "So you're Kagome are you dear? And human?" A small smile pricked her face. Completely forced, and completely fake.  
  
Kagome smiled nervously back at the woman, "Yes I am. Very nice to meet you. Kouga's told me so much about you." She squinted her eyes as she diverted her gaze to Kouga next to her.  
  
"I bet he's told you I'm rude, intruding, over-powering, and 'pushy'" Kasima said glowering at her son.  
  
Kagome raised an eye brow slightly seeing the glint of anger in Kouga's mother's eyes and decided to save him from this one. "Oh no. He has done nothing but speak highly of you."  
  
"Really? Then what has he told you?" Kasima wasn't buying it apparently. Not Kagome's luck...she really sucked at lying.  
  
"That you were stricked with him, but fair, and only looked out for his well being even though he would never admit it."  
  
Kouga eyed her quickly. His mother was none of the spoken, and he was pretty sure that he had told her exactly what his mother had just summarized.  
  
"Oh really? That's news to me." Kasima said putting on a genuine smile. She didn't believe a word of what Kagome had just said, but the girl was showing she was loyal to her son, but just how loyal was she? Kasima was planning to find out, in time. "I can't tell you how happy to know that he finally found someone who suits him."  
  
"I should go raise the call to the hunters. We should be back in a few hours with food for tonight's feast." Kouga said with a smile. He was happy to see that things seemed to be going along one of the better scenarios, and he thanked his lucky stars for that.  
  
"Alright dear." Kasima said as she turned to sit back down, but then turned to face Kouga and Kagome once more, as if expecting something.  
  
Kouga had started to turn to walk away when he heard his mother make a sound in the back of her throat. He turned back and realized what she was waiting to see.  
  
He cursed customs mentally.  
  
Kagome, however was completely oblivious to the practically psychic conversation taking place around her. "What's wrong Kouga?" She was looking at the wolf with concern. He had a rather pale expression on his face that she, really, hadn't seen on anyone's face before.  
  
Kouga grabbed her hands gently in his and before Kagome could react he leaned in and kissed her lightly on the lips. Her lips were soft and warm to the touch. It didn't last long as he kindly dropped her hands and turned completely this time and started walking away, "See you later Kagome."  
  
Kagome was too busy blushing madly to return the farewell. Shocked as ever, hoping all of that had just been a figment of her imagination. Though...she didn't think that to be possible considering the fact that she didn't dream of kissing Kouga. It usually stood more along the lines of a certain dog-half.  
  
Kasima just smiled away as her son seemed to walk away rather quickly. It seemed he hadn't been enforcing the wolf customs along with the mating ceremony. She was going to have to ask how that went with out her there to arrange it in the first place.  
  
Another question for another time. Perhaps over dinner then...  
  
**~~^_^~~**  
  
The pack had nearly caught enough venison to feed them that night. They all had been hunting for the past half hour or so and the sun was setting slowly. Kouga turned and noticed that some of the scouts were a bit deeper in conversational whisper than they really should have been.  
  
"Kouga?" Taka said as he gave a slight shrug of his shoulders, re- positioning the three deer on his back.  
  
"Hm?" Kouga grunted, not sure if he really wanted to be included in the conversation.  
  
"When did you get mated with Kagome? I thought she was with that inu." Taka asked watching Kouga sigh slightly as his shoulders dropped.  
  
"I'M not really mated to her." Kouga said trying to keep calm. It was none of his clans business, or at least he didn't think it to be.  
  
"But then why is she here?" Kutor asked trying to get more out of their leader, hoping for at least half of the story.  
  
"She's staying here until mother 'dearest' leaves. To you and the rest of the pack she is my mate and will be treated as such. You will not touch her or harm her. Be sure to let everyone know that..." Kouga paused and turned to the two scouts, "And leave out the part about this being a plan to get my mother the hell out of here. We can fill them in after this succeeds."  
  
"Or fails." Kutor mused out loud.  
  
Kouga threw a deadly glare at the scout over his shoulder and turned to continue walking forward.  
  
Kutor felt a chill run down his spine. He should have kept his mouth shut...  
  
"There's two more deer off in the clearing...I'll be back" Kouga dashed out into the field hoping that hunting might take his mind off of things for the mean time. But...oddly he couldn't get the kiss out of his head...even if it had just been custom.....he still couldn't believe she didn't smack him.  
  
**~~^_^~~**  
  
Kagome had been escorted to a further back part of the cave. Oddly...there were rooms back there. The wooden walls were craftly cut and designed to fit the surrounding stone snugly to create them. The door was a thick bear pelt that hung gracefully to the ground.  
  
Her shocked state had subsided seconds after Kouga's departure, and it was replaced with a hateful anger. Maybe she should have made sure he had completely understood her when she said she was just 'playing the part'. To her that included not touching and kissing...obviously Kouga had other ideas about that.  
  
She couldn't wait to talk to Kouga alone, she was going to give him a thick piece of her mind whether he could explain or not. It was uncalled for and she felt like something was completely wrong with it.  
  
Kagome was hating the fact that she had agreed to help the wolf in the first place already. And she had barely been here an hour. What luck.  
  
Kagome lay back on pile of soft bear skins that were meant to be a bed. They were quite comfortable. She closed her eyes and the first think that came to her rested mind happened to be how pissy a certain hanyou would be if he were to ever find out......  
  
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Phoxy- ^__^ There's the third chapter. ... Next chapter- 'Troubled Hate'....Scary...ne?  
  
READ,  
  
ENJOY,  
  
REVIEW!! 


	4. Troubled Hate

Phoxy- Bout time I updated, ne? It's a bit shorter than usual...sorry.  
  
Disclaimer- ...Bite my bunny!  
  
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~~~*'Beating around the Bush'*~~~ ****~~~~'Troubled Hate'~~~~****  
  
There was a breeze lightly blowing threw the cracks of Kagome's room. Her eyes flickered open as she sat up on the bear pelt and looked around not really sure where she was.  
  
Her gaze fell on a black haired boy near the opening of her little room. He was looking at her with his deep green eyes, and as she looked at him her mind swam with no thought what so ever, and then it clicked.  
  
"What are you doing in here!?" Kagome asked a bit louder than she had first anticipated it to be.  
  
"Well good-morning to you too." Kouga said calmly. What was she so worked up about?  
  
Kagome scowled at him, "What are you doing in here?"  
  
"We are suppose to sleep in the same room-"  
  
"What!?" Kagome hissed.  
  
"My mother's out there and if I hadn't come in here she would have gotten extremely suspicious." Kouga said in his own defense. It didn't help him much seeing as Kagome was determined to derail his nerves this morning.  
  
"I don't care! Get out!" She screeched.  
  
"Shhhh. Kagome. You don't want to wake everyone up do you?" This seemed to be falling apart fast.  
  
"If it gets you out of here...YES!"  
  
"I didn't do anything to you. Please keep quiet." Kouga tried to reason with her quickly.  
  
"You kissed me yesterday! And now you're in the same sleeping quarters as me!" Kagome said still screeching loudly. It was a wonder no one was up and listening yet. Or at least that's what Kouga was hoping.  
  
Kouga blinked, "You never seemed to mind when Inuyasha slept next to you. And for the record the kiss was wolf-tribe tradition."  
  
Kagome lost her voice for a few moments before she looked at him funny.  
  
"What?" Kouga asked not sure if he liked that expression in the least.  
  
"Why are you doing this?" Kagome asked as she reached up and ran her fingers threw her hair. It hadn't been what all she had been planning to say, but it seemed to work for the time being.  
  
And she had managed to confuse Kouga as well, "What do you mean?" He asked narrowing his eyes at her.  
  
"I mean, why are you going threw all this trouble to trick your mother?" Kagome rephrased as she unknotted her hair a bit and then flung it over her shoulder.  
  
"Because I can."  
  
Kagome wanted to take who ever came up with the phrase out into a dark alley and beat their brains in with a base ball bat, "That's not a good enough answer."  
  
"Well it's the truth." Kouga said with a shrug.  
  
Kagome got up with a dull look on her face as she headed to walk out of the room. "I'll just be going now."  
  
"Going? Wait!" He stumbled to grab her sleeve and stopped her, "It's too early. The sun isn't even up yet."  
  
"Give me a real answer or I'm out." Kagome pulled her arm from Kouga's grip and eyed him closely.  
  
Great. Why did she have to do this to him? Why, why, why, why, why... "It's because I can't stand her face when I disappoint her. I've always done it and every time I let her down in the smallest way she gives me that face. She's done it ever since my father died. She blames me for his death."  
  
Kagome sat back down. She hadn't been expecting that at all. Usually it takes a lot more to get information out of people...or maybe that was only Inuyasha, she wasn't really sure at the moment, "That's horrible. Why would she blame you for you're fathers death?"  
  
"Because she can. He was killed by a demon bear. He had gone out alone on the morning hunt and never came home...we found his corps a few days later. Completely mauled...I had been the first to see him." As he talked Kouga seemed to drift off into his own thoughts, as he stared at the ceiling you could tell he wasn't seeing the stone over head.  
  
"I'm sorry..."Kagome said timidly, she hadn't known...  
  
"Yeah?" He asked still out of it slightly, "Well that's why I'm doing this, because I don't want to see that stupid disappointed expression on her face, and if you don't want to help then I'm screwed."  
  
"What about that little wood nymph? She seems like she would have helped you."  
  
"My mother already met her. The two of them have 'artistic' differences." Kouga said carefully picking his words.  
  
"Like how?" Kagome asked. When was the last time she had had a real conversation?  
  
"Like my mother saw Kiyoumi as dead and Kiyoumi saw mother 'dearest' as dead. It's a mutual hate-hate relationship, and quite frankly I hate her too"  
  
"You're mother or Kiyoumi?" Kagome asked trying to keep up.  
  
"Kiyoumi...for the most part." Kouga added slowly.  
  
"Kasima hate's Kiyoumi yet she wants you to find a mate...that seems a tad, hypocritical."  
  
"Well that's good ol' mother." Kouga's gaze fell on the bear pelt that draped for a door as he heard the morning scouts leaving. The sun would be up soon, and he would have to face his mother again, as well as the morning hunt.  
  
"That's horrible." Kagome said again.  
  
"Yeah...."  
  
**~~...~~**  
  
Inuyasha had stopped for the night, he could see the water leading away from the wolf's caves.  
  
It was still dark out, and the only reason he had stopped was because he could smell the stench of the mongrels everywhere, and with the horrible light he couldn't tell where they were.  
  
Thus the reason he stopped.  
  
He had been traveling after them all day, Inuyasha wasn't worried...much. The only fear he really had was what the wolf might do to Kagome.  
  
Kouga was much stronger than her, and if he touched her...  
  
Inuyasha would rip him limb from limb until his body parts were scattered for miles.  
  
What a lovely thought.  
  
Inuyasha's eyes were slowly starting to close as his head lay back against the trees' strong trunk. He was tired, but he found it hard to relax.  
  
It had always been so easy to sleep when Kagome was around...  
  
The dog-half sighed and let his eyes fall closed. He'd wake up in a few hours anyway. There was no real hurry...  
  
**~~...~~**  
  
The sun was up to it's entirety, Kouga had left a while ago for some kind of hunting party. Kagome hadn't really listened to the full argument he had had with his mom...in fact she had excused herself to her room after it had started.  
  
She never would have guessed Kouga fought with his mother. He fought with her more than she fought with hers, and that was scary.  
  
The conversation she had had with him earlier still was scratching at her mind, it was just rude that Kasima would blame Kouga like that for something that wasn't even his fault.  
  
Kagome sighed as she pulled one of the pelts over her legs. It was a bit chilly in the back of the caves where her room was. And the only reason she didn't' leave the little room was because she really didn't know anyone else out in the main halls of the cave.  
  
The doorway drape was shifted as Kasima walked threw it with something that looked like furs held in her arms, "Hello dear."  
  
Kagome put on a pleasant smile despite the horrible feelings she had towards this woman, "Hello."  
  
"I brought you something." Kasima said with a genuine smile on her face as she moved over and kneeled down next to Kagome. She held out the material in her arms to her, "Made them myself. You look to be about the right size to fit them."  
  
Kagome picked up the soft white fur and unfolded it. It was a top to the outfit that was being offered to her. "wow..."  
  
"I thought you'd like them. Well go on, put them on dear."  
  
Kagome looked around. She didn't really feel all that comfortable changing in an unknown place, but seeing as how she wasn't getting out of this she stripped down to her undergarments, thank god for bras and underwear, and slipped on the outfit.  
  
The top fit like a glove and the bottoms, which was much like a skort was just as fitting. There were two arm cuffs that slid on with only a bit of difficulty, but the entire outfit was extremely gorgeous.  
  
"Beautiful. Simply beautiful." Kasima said as she looked Kagome over. If there was one thing she was right about, it did fit Kagome perfectly.  
  
"You really think so?" Kagome asked with a smile.  
  
"Defiantly dear." Kasima confirmed.  
  
"Thank you so much." Kagome said as she sat back down on the bear pelts.  
  
"Well it wasn't like I was going to be wearing it." Kasima said as if it was an excuse.  
  
Kagome was grateful either way.  
  
"You can keep them too."  
  
"Oh no, I couldn't." Kagome said. She didn't want to feel as though she were robbing her.  
  
"It's no problem. I promise. Besides, it does fit you wonderfully. I'd hate to give it to anyone else."  
  
"Thank you." Kagome said again as she ideally brushed her hair back over her shoulders.  
  
"Don't mention it." Kasima's smile was beautiful. When she wasn't looking stern she really didn't look old at all. In fact, she never really looked old to begin with. The woman could easily be mistaken for a classmate of Kagome's.  
  
"You made this?" Kagome asked remembering Kasima's original statement.  
  
"Yes. It was for my wedding to Kouga's father. There were many other pieces to it of course, but I only kept the basic parts after...after the accident." Kasima said slowly.  
  
"What happened." Kagome asked, though, she thought she knew.  
  
"Kouga's father died." Kasima said flatly, her smile fading from her face.  
  
"Bear attack..."  
  
"Yes. I see Kouga has told you about it. That pelt you are sitting on was that of the bear that had killed Hatome." Kasima glanced down at the large bear pelt that lay beneath the two of them. "Kutor and Kouga had both taken out the retched beast after finding his body..."  
  
No one said anything for a while after that. A long pregnant pause stretched out until Kasima looked up to Kagome's face, "I was such an idiot then, and that is why I pay for it now."  
  
"What?" Kagome asked. Not sure what Kasima had meant by that last comment.  
  
"Well Kouga still blames me, now doesn't he. What an awful birthday present it was for him too."  
  
Kagome still wasn't picking up what all the woman had just said. Kouga didn't blame her. She blamed him...didn't she?  
  
"Kouga had reached his coming of age, and when it was time for him to lead the hunt, he didn't want to go. He refused to go. I made Hatome carry on with out his son. He went alone and, he never came back." Kasima was staring at the bear pelt, but she had a glaze over her eyes that told Kagome that she wasn't really seeing it.  
  
"And...you think Kouga blames you for it?" Kagome asked. There were some serious misunderstandings in this family.  
  
"Well doesn't he? You've seen the way he glares at me, and they way he acts when I'm around." Kasima asked.  
  
Kagome was slowly putting the pieces of this horrible puzzle together, slowly guessing where parts fit. Kouga thought that his mother was blaming him because he hadn't gone with his dad that day hunting. And Kasima thought that Kouga blamed her because she had made his dad go on his own for the days hunt.  
  
They were blaming themselves really, but how to explain that to them when the two of them only argued when they were in the same room with each other.  
  
Kasima sighed and stood up. "I should be use to it by now. That boy has his fathers' stuborness and just wont let a grudge go." She put on a smile and headed for the door, "If you want you can come out of this room. We don't bite you know."  
  
"I know." Kagome said as she stood up as well. She'd have to work out this problem in time, as well as keep the cover for Kouga...  
  
What a mess she has gotten herself into...  
  
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Phoxy- Sorry this has taken me so long. ^__^o I'm not sure what the next chapter will be called yet. Oh well..  
  
READ,  
  
ENJOY  
  
REVIEW!! 


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